Apparatus for forming sliver into a package and aiding in doffing the formed package



NOV- 15, 1960 J. M. GOULD 2,959,825

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SLIVER INToAPAcKAG E AND AIDING IN DOFFING THE FORMED PACKAGE Filed Sept. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tlqb. l

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, APPARATUS FOR FORMING SLIVER INTO A PACKAGE AND AIDING IN DOFFING THE FORMED PACKAGE Filed Sept. 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J'o/-f/v/W, ian/D BY i ATTORN States Patent @hice 2,959,825 Patented Nov.y 15, 1960 APPARATUS FOR FORMING SLIVER INTO A PACKAGE AND AIDING IN DOFFING THE FRMED PACKAGE .lohn M. Gould, Barre, Mass.

Filed Sept. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 685,634

4 Claims. (Cl. 19-157) This invention relates to apparatus for packaging slivers and is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 393,478, fLled Nov. 20, 1953, now abandoned.

Apparatus heretofore provided for winding slivers of fibrous material into balls, cones, cylinders, skeins or other shapes have consisted essentially of means for forming a series of turns around a central axis. Also containers have been provided in which a sliver is deposited in a series of superimposed coils or folds.

Such prior art apparatus for slivers is unsatisfactory because it produces small packages which in the aggregate have many ends and in subsequent operations these ends have to be repeatedly handled and many of the bers comprising the sliver become displaced and out of parallelism with the result that recombing operations often have to be resorted to and substantial quantities of sliver` are wasted. Prior art apparatus has produced packages which have been of small size due to the fact that the diameter of a ball increases in proportion to the length and size of sliver comprising the ball, and this not yonly creates complications in uniformly winding a ball, but complicates or renders impossible later processing steps such as forcing liquid through the ball in a dyeing or other treatment step. Furthermore, when a number of packages made by prior art methods are placed together in a container for dyeing there is a great deal of waste space in the dye chamber or container due to the configuration of the package, and this diiiiculty begets another difficulty due to the volume of liquid required in the container to lill the spaces between the packages and the packages and the container wall. As is Well known to those skilled in the art the diliiculties in dyeing various Itextile materials are aggravated and increased where the volume of dye liquid is large in proportion to the volume of material being dyed.

It is an `object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for packaging slivers.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus on which may be formed sliver packages comprising many times the volume of material comprised by prior art packages and adapted to stand alone.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus on which packages can be formed in which the bers will not be easily displaced during handling and subsequent operations, with the result that the amount of cohesion between adjacent slivers leading to the production of faulty or poor quality sliver in subsequent `operations may be substantially reduced.

Another object of fthe invention is to provide apparatus adapted to form a package in a form for facilitating subsequent treatment of the sliver as for example by dyeing, drying or like operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device on which a sliver package may be built up in layers comprising a number of small folds.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device defining a number of sets of angularly related channels from which the formed package may be easily removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device with a receiving surface which is self adjusting in height so that in the forming of the package successive layers are laid down in substantially the same horizontal plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device adapted to aid in doing a package, as for example into a shipping carton or other container.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of apparatus used in forming a package by the method disclosed hereion;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l showing a modiiication of the apparatus shown in Figure l;

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figure l showing more or less diagrammatically how the sliver is built up thereon in one contiguration to form a package embodying the invention;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures l and 3 but illustrating a further modification of pin disposition.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing another and preferred modification of sliver package forming apparatus, with a compact package partly formed thereon.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing the folds of a layer of silver laid down in the channels provided by the pins of the modifications shown in Figures 1-5, or Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing a second and successive sliver layer and the relationship of its folds to the folds of the preceding slicer layer and the pins of the forming apparatus.

In Figures l and 2 is shown a backing member 10v having projecting at right angles therefrom a number of pins identified consecutively by the letters a-u, disposed to form a plurality of sets of parallel channels, the channels comprising one set being angularly disposed with respect to the channels of another set. For example, one set of four channels is defined as follows-lirst channel between pins a, b, c, and h, g, f, e, d; second channel between pins h, g, f, e, d, and i, j, k, l, m; third channel between pins i, j, k, l, m, and r, q, p, o, n; fourth channel between pins r, q, p, o, n, and s, t, u. A second set of channels angularly related to said first set of channels is defined as follows-flrst channel between pins c, d, and b, e, m; second channel between pins b, e, m, and a, f, l, n; third channel between pins a, f, l, n, and pins g, k, o; fourth channel between pins g, k, o, and pins h, j, p, u; fifth channel between pins h, j, p, u, and pins q, t; and sixth channel between pins i, q, t, and pins r, s. A third set of channels angularly related to the channels of said rst and second sets is comprised as follows-first channel between pins d, m, n, and c, e, l, o, u; second channel between pins c, e, l, o, u, and pins b, f, k, p, t; third channel between pins b, f, k, p, t, and pins a, g, j, q, s; fourth! channel between pins a, g, i, q, s, and pins h, r. I

In Figures 4 and 5 eight layers of sliver are shown disposed in eight sets of channels provided by the apparatus shown in Figure l, each layer being rotated 45 counter-clockwise from the preceding layer, the lay being divided with four 'layers shown in Figure 4 andy four layers shown in Figure for ease in following the pattern of a complete cycle of eight layers. It will be readily noted that in the configuration shown in Figure 4 the sliver S, going in the direction indicated at A, is first led around pin l1 and through the channel provided between pins l1, a, and pins i, g, b, and in Figure 5 the sliver continues from B around pins u, n, and through the set of channels beginning with the channel `defined between pins u, n, and pins t, o, m.

It will be noted that each of the eight layers of sliver indicated in Figures 4 and 5 is substantially axially aligned with the other layers; each layer comprises a number of sliver portions or folds which are substantially parallel, and the folds of sliver comprising one layer cross and are angularly related to the folds comprising the layers directly above and below it respectively. This angular relation is more fu-lly illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.

It will be further noted that each fold of each layer passes through the body of the package and that no fold lies along the periphery of the package, for a greater distance than approximately 1A of the circumference of the package. Successive layers and successive folds of a layer are interconnected at the periphery of the package by short lengths of the sliver. The resulting package is characterized by its unity and compactness and its ability to stand alone. Sliver packages made as taught herein may be made larger than prior art packages. I have successfully built packages from three to four feet high and with a diameter on Vthe order of 11/2 to 2 feet, using pins a few inches longer than the maximum height package desired. It will be obvious that on the apparatus described herein, and especially the modification shown in Figure 7, packages of any desired height less than the full length of the pins may be formed.

The compactness and large size of the package is an advantage when using forming apparatus having foraminous pins and placing the formed package while in the forming apparatus within a liquid container for liquid treatment in a subsequent operation, such for example as dyeing, as is disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 393,479, filed November 20, 1953, now Patent No. 2,831,747.

The laying down of successive and substantially axially aligned layers of sliver each comprising a series of folds disposed angularly with respect to the folds of other layers may be accomplished using a variety of pin patterns. Thus for example in Figure 3 a backing 12 having another pin pattern is shown. The pins projecting from backing 12 are indicated generally by the letter x. It will be obvious that a number of sets of channels are provided by the pins on backing 12, the channels of one set being angularly related to the channels of another set, especially in view of the identification of the rows of pins defining a number of sets of channels given above in describing Figure l. As in the case of a package built upon the pin pattern shown in Figure 1, a package built upon the pin pattern shown in Figure 3 will Valso comprise a number of layers each composed of folds which are substantially parallel with one another but angularly disposed with respect to the folds comprising other layers.

To facilitate the laying down of successive layers in the passages defined by the pins, and to aid in dofling the `,ackage from the forming apparatus I provide the vertically movable platform 1'4 provided with aperture 16 adapted to register with the pins 18 projecting up from the backing member 20. (See Figure 7.)

Platform 14 is spaced from the backing member or base 20 by coil compression springs 22, the ends of which are attached` to said platform and said base respectively.

4 Springs 22 may extend laround or within the vertical guide members 24.

Platform 14 is a sliver receiving surface which is movable longitudinally of the pins 18 and toward and away from the base 20. Its position vertically along said pins is responsive to the weight of sliver laid down upon it. By selection of springs 22 the sliver receiving surface may be made to move down toward the base, a substantially equal distance for each layer deposited on said surface thus keeping substantially constant the distance to which the pins project above the package being formed thereon and keeping the depth of the channels defined by the pins substantially constant for each layer of sliver laid down.

Separation members 26 may be employed between successive layers laid down in the channels dened by pins 18 thus aiding in preventing the fibers in one layer of sliver from becoming entangled with fibers in another layer of sliver. The members 26 are made to correspond to the cross sectional dimensions of the package being formed and have apertures 28 registering with the pins 18. After a layer of sliver is laid down in one of the channels defined by the pins 18 a separator 26 is lowered around the pins 18 on to the layer and the sliver end is brought up over the edge of the separator and is laid down in folds in another set of channels defined by pins 18 and angularly related to the channels in which the preceding layer was laid down. The separators aid in giving form and rigidity to the formed package. A principal purpose of the separators is to make possible subsequent division of the package into any predetermined number of precise aliquots of the whole package where this may be found desirable for any reason, as for example for reasons of further processing.

The apparatus disclosed herein is not limited to the formation of a package the configuration of which is circular or cylindrical-such a package may be preferred but a desirable package is one the height of which may be increased as desired Without increasing the distance from the center of the package to its periphery, thus making it possible to use packages comprising many times the volume of sliver in prior art balls, cylinders or tops and other textile packages. For example, a rectangular disposition of pins y on a suitable backing 14 as shown in Figure 6 may be employed. Other configurations may be employed without departing from the invention.

The apparatus disclosed herein not only produces packages having fewer sliver terminal points for a particular weight of sliver than prior art apparatus, but also packages which require less labor in subsequent operations. Packages made on it may have higher density than prior art packages and be shipped with less deformation than has been experienced in handling prior art packages. The quality of the sliver in the resulting packages is increased due to the fact that there is less tendency for adjacent portions of the sliver to adhere or entangle because of the angular disposition of the folds of one layer with respect to the folds of the layers with which they are in contact contrasted with the nearly parallel position of contactingvportions of sliver top and other sliver in` prior art packages.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope fo the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for forming a sliver package which comprises a base, and a number of pins extending from said base upwardly, at right angles to the base, land dening a plurality of sets of channels, the channels comprising each set being substantially parallel, and the sets of channels being angularly related one to another, a sliver receiving surface moveable longitudinally of said pins and toward and away from the base, and resilient means between the receiving surface and the base.

2. Apparatus for forming a sliver package which oomprises a base, and a number of pins extending from said base upwardly, at right angles to the base, and defining a plurality of sets of channels, the channels comprising each set being substantially parallel and the sets of channels being angularly related one to another, a sliver receiving surface moveable longitudinally of said pins and toward and away from the base, and means controlling the spacing of said receiving surface from said base in accordance with the weight of sliver supported on said surface so that each successive layer of sliver is laid down at substantially the same distance from the top of said pins.

3. Apparatus for forming a sliver package which comprises a base, and a number of pins extending from said base upwardly, at right angles to the 4base, and defining a plurality of sets of channels, the channels comprising each set being substantially parallel and the sets of channels being angularly related one to another, a sliver receiving surface moveable up and down on said pins and toward and away from the base, and means responsive to the weight of sliver laid down on said receiving surface to control the elevation of said receiving surface with respect to said base.

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 including a number of separator members apertured to t over said pins and to be included in the package, for separating the successive ,layers of sliver laid down in said channels.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,401 Hoiman Sept. 6, 1908 1,557,407 Bittner Oct. 13, 1925 1,571,500 Thompson Feb. 2, 1926 1,699,945 Barry Jan. 22, 1929 1,833,654 McMullan Nov. 24, 1931 2,011,916 Simonds Aug. 20, 1935 2,360,416 Gray Oct. 17, 1944 2,560,205 Andren July 10, 1951 2,685,996 Sholner et al. Aug. 10, 1954 2,735,250 Buddecke Feb. 21, 1956 2,745,146 Wilkie May 15, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,476 Great Britain of 1849 

